Texans-Ravens moved to Nov. 9; Bengals game moved upSchedule switches mean team to have 4 straight at home after 3 on the road

The NFL has postponed the Texans' home opener against the Baltimore Ravens for a second time.

Because of damage to Reliant Stadium caused by Hurricane Ike, the NFL moved the game to Nov. 9, which had been Baltimore's open date.

The Texans will play Cincinnati at home earlier than expected, doing so at 3:05 p.m. on Oct. 26. That Sunday originally had been set aside as Houston's and Cincinnati's open date.

The change means the Texans will not lose a home game.

The team is hoping its home venue will remain at Reliant Stadium. Experts on Saturday were checking damage to the moveable roof and the rest of the building.

Because of widespread damage of Ike and potential inconvenience to the Texans and Ravens, the NFL chose not to play the game Monday at a neutral site.

Saturday's change marks the second for the game against the Ravens. It was originally scheduled for Sunday at 3:15 p.m., then moved back a day.

The aesthetic portions of Reliant Stadium took as much of a beating as the structural portions.

The aesthetic portions of Reliant Stadium took as much of a beating as the structural portions.

Photo: Billy Smith II, CHRONICLE

Photo: Billy Smith II, CHRONICLE

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The aesthetic portions of Reliant Stadium took as much of a beating as the structural portions.

The aesthetic portions of Reliant Stadium took as much of a beating as the structural portions.

Photo: Billy Smith II, CHRONICLE

Texans-Ravens slides to Nov. 9; Bengals game moved up

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With the change, the Texans will not play at home until the Oct. 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts. That would mark the start of a run of four home games after three on the road - the opener, a 38-17 loss to Pittsburgh, and trips to Tennessee (Sept. 21) and Jacksonville (Sept. 28).

The Houston Texans will not be playing their home opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night at Reliant Stadium.

The game was supposed to have been played at 7:30 p.m., but Hurricane Ike has caused damage to the stadium that has made it unsuitable for hosting the game.

"The facility will not be usable," said Shea Guinn, president of SMG, the company that manages Reliant Park.

"There's some structural damage to the roof. Part of it is off," Guinn said.

"There's also some other damage on the property caused by wind and water. We're in the process of assessing the damage," he said. "As far as the game being postponed again or played, that will be up to the NFL."

The game had originally been set for 3:15 p.m. Sunday, but because of Ike the NFL moved it to Monday night.

The Texans and Ravens will have no comment until they hear from the league. Conference calls among three are scheduled for later today.

The NFL will determine where and when the Texans play the Ravens. The Texans' bye week (Oct. 26) is a possibility. The Texans and Bengals have the same bye week. The Ravens' bye week is Nov. 9. The Texans host the Bengals on Nov. 9. The Texans could host the Bengals on Oct. 26 and the Ravens on Nov. 9.

The big question is, can Reliant Stadium be repaired in time for the Texans' next home game Oct. 5 against Indianapolis.

Rice Stadium could be an alternative. When Hurricane Katrina forced the Saints to leave New Orleans in 2005, they relocated to San Antonio and played at the Alamodome.

The last thing the Texans want to do is to play road games until Reliant Stadium is ready.